Method for obtaining aromatic hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon mixture

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a process for obtaining aromatic hydrocarbons selected from benzene, toluene, xylene and ethylbenzene mixtures thereof from a hydrocarbon mixture which additionally comprises nonaromatic hydrocarbons and high boilers, comprising the steps of 
     (A) providing a hydrocarbon mixture a1 and an extractive solvent a2 composed of N-formylmorpholine, 
     (B) extractively distilling the hydrocarbon mixture a1 with the extractive solvent to obtain a mixture b1 of extractive solvent and the aromatic hydrocarbons, said mixture comprising high boilers, and a mixture b2 comprising nonaromatic hydrocarbons, 
     (C) distilling the mixture b1 of extractive solvent and aromatic hydrocarbons obtained in step (B) to obtain one or more fractions c1 composed of aromatic hydrocarbons and the extractive solvent c2 which comprises high boilers, 
     (D) removing a substream d1 from the extractive solvent c2 and recycling the extractive solvent c2 into the extractive distillation (B), 
     (E) extracting the substream d1 of the extractive solvent with water to obtain an aqueous extract phase el essentially free of high boilers and an organic phase e2 comprising the high boilers, 
     (F) distilling the aqueous extract phase e1 and recovering the extractive solvent a2 in purified form, and recycling the extractive solvent into the extractive distillation (B), 
     wherein performance of step (E) is preceded by performance of a distillation in which a fraction composed of very high-boiling hydrocarbons is removed from the substream d1 of the extractive solvent.

The invention relates to a process for obtaining aromatic hydrocarbonsfrom a hydrocarbon mixture which, as well as the aromatic hydrocarbons,comprises nonaromatic hydrocarbons and high-boiling aromatic andnonaromatic hydrocarbons.

The separation of mixtures of aromatics and nonaromatics by extractivedistillation is known. Industrial extractive distillation processes useN-methylpyrrollidone, N-formylmorpholine (NFM), dimethylformamide orsulfolane. In the extractive distillation column, the nonaromatics aredistilled off, while the aromatics remain in the bottom together withthe extractive solvent and are separated therefrom in a subsequentstripping column. Customary aromatics-containing hydrocarbon mixturesstem generally from refineries, catcrackers and steamcrackers.Extractive distillation is used in particular in the isolation ofaromatics from pyrolysis gasolines.

When the hydrocarbon starting mixtures used are hydrocarbon fractionswhich comprise benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene or xylenes or any mixturethereof as constituents to be extracted, a series of high-boilingaromatic and nonaromatic hydrocarbons with boiling points similar tothat of the extractive solvent accumulates in the extractive solvent,which can lead to rapid deterioration in the quality of the extractivesolvent. The higher the proportion of high-boiling hydrocarbons, thefaster the deterioration in the solvent quality generally takes place.The consequence is a deterioration in the separating performance of theextractive distillation, which can necessitate a rapid exchange of theextractive solvent. Attempts to remove the high-boiling hydrocarbonsfrom the solvent by distillation have not led to a satisfactory result,since some of the high-boiling hydrocarbons boil in the same temperaturerange as the solvent. Since a distillative separation is virtuallyimpossible, this problem has in the past been solvable only byundertaking a complete exchange of the contaminated solvent after acertain operating time.

EP-A 0 329 958 discloses a process for obtaining an aromatics mixturefrom a starting hydrocarbon mixture whose boiling range is between 40and 170° C., and which, as well as nonaromatics, comprises severalaromatics, especially benzene, toluene and xylenes, in which thestarting hydrocarbon mixture is subjected to an extractive distillationusing N-substituted morpholines as the selective solvent. In thisprocess, low-boiling nonaromatics having a boiling range up to approx.105° C. are distilled off virtually completely, and the relativelyhigh-boiling nonaromatics with a boiling range between approx. 105 and160° C. predominantly, as the raffinate via the top of the extractivedistillation column, while the majority of the aromatics and theremaining nonaromatics are drawn off from the bottom of the extractivedistillation column as the extract together with the solvent used. Thehydrocarbons of the extract are removed from the extractive solvent bydistillation in a downstream stripper column, while the solvent isreturned to the stripper column. The process according to EP-A 0 329 958solves the problem of enrichment of high-boiling aromatics in theextractive solvent by cooling a substream of the extractive solventdrawn off from the stripper column, admixing it with water andintroducing it into a phase separator, the high-boiling aromaticspresent in the solvent being removed from the solvent/water mixture as alighter upper phase. The solvent/water mixture drawn off from the phaseseparator is finally separated into its constituents and reused in theprocess. The process is based on the fact that the high-boilingaromatics and the extractive solvent, especially N-formyimorpholine,have different dissolution properties in water. While the solvent,especially N-formylmorpholine, has unlimited solubility in water, thehigh-boiling aromatics dissolve in water only in very small amounts.Since the high-boiling aromatics also have a significant densitydifference compared to the solvent/water mixture, they can be removedfrom the solvent/water mixture as a light phase in a phase separator.

In the prior art processes, however, a frequent occurrence is that themixture of extractive solvent/water on the one hand and high-boilingaromatics on the other hand separates only poorly into an upper phasecomposed of high-boiling aromatics and a lower phase composed ofsolvent/water mixture.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved process forobtaining aromatic hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon mixture which, aswell as the aromatic hydrocarbons, comprises nonaromatic hydrocarbonsand high-boiling aromatic and nonaromatic hydrocarbons, referred to as“high boilers” for short hereinafter, by means of extractivedistillation using N-formylmorpholine, which does not have thedisadvantages of the prior art.

The object is achieved by a process for obtaining aromatic hydrocarbonsselected from benzene, toluene, xylene and ethylbenzene and mixturesthereof from a hydrocarbon mixture which additionally comprisesnonaromatic hydrocarbons and high boilers, comprising the steps of

(A) providing a hydrocarbon mixture a1 and an extractive solvent a2composed of N-formylmorpholine,

(B) extractively distilling the hydrocarbon mixture a1 with theextractive solvent to obtain a mixture b1 of extractive solvent and thearomatic hydrocarbons, said mixture comprising high boilers, and amixture b2 comprising nonaromatic hydrocarbons,

(C) distilling the mixture b1 of extractive solvent and aromatichydrocarbons obtained in step (B) to obtain one or more fractions c1composed of aromatic hydrocarbons and the extractive solvent c2 whichcomprises high boilers,

(D) removing a substream d1 from the extractive solvent c2 and recyclingthe extractive solvent c2 into the extractive distillation (B),

(E) extracting the substream d1 of the extractive solvent with water toobtain an aqueous extract phase e1 essentially free of high boilers andan organic phase e2 comprising the high boilers,

(F) distilling the aqueous extract phase e1 and recovering theextractive solvent a2 in purified form, and recycling the extractivesolvent into the extractive distillation (B),

which comprises preceding performance of step (E) with performance of adistillation in which a fraction composed of very high-boilinghydrocarbons is removed from the substream d1 of the extractive solvent.

High-boiling aromatics which may be present in the hydrocarbon mixtureand can be enriched in the extractive solvent are already described byway of example in EP-A 0 329 958 and comprise, for example, hemellitol,p-cymene, 1,2-diethylbenzene, indane, durene, isodurene,trimethylbenzene, naphthalene, methylnaphthalenes, dimethylnaphthalenesand diphenyl. In addition, however, oligomeric and polymeric aromaticswith a very high boiling point, also referred to for short hereinafteras “ultrahigh boilers”, which may have interface-active properties, alsoaccumulate in the extractive solvent. They generally do not boil untilabove 250° C. at atmospheric pressure or cannot be evaporated at allwithout decomposition, not even under reduced pressure. The invention isalso based on the finding that such “ultrahigh boilers” with apparentlyinterface-active properties accumulate in the extractive solvent, andthat the presence of these oligo- or polyaromatics apparently hindersthe phase separation in step (E) into an aqueous extract phase and anorganic high boiler phase. It has been found that the problem can beremedied when the performance of step (E) is preceded by removal of theoligomeric and polymeric aromatics (“ultrahigh boilers”) at least partlyfrom the extractive solvent by distillation.

The ultrahigh boilers are generally removed under a reduced pressure offrom 10 to 100 mbar in a distillation column having from 1 to 10theoretical plates. The top temperature is generally in the range from100 to 170° C., the bottom temperature in the range from 120 to 190° C.The ultrahigh boilers are generally obtained as a highly viscous bottomproduct which can be evaporated without decomposition. In general, theoligomeric and polymeric ultrahigh boilers are depleted by thisdistillation step to an extent of at least 90%, preferably to an extentof at least 95%.

In general, in the process according to the invention, hydrocarbonmixtures composed of aliphatic, cycloaliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbonsare used, which have boiling points in the range from 50 to 225° C. .atatmospheric pressure. These generally comprise a total of from 10 to 90%by weight of toluene and xylenes and/or a total of from 10 to 90% byweight of benzene, toluene and xylenes. In addition, the hydrocarbonmixtures generally comprise aliphatic hydrocarbons having from 5 to 10carbon atoms and possibly cycloaliphatic hydrocarbons having from 5 to10 carbon atoms. Typical hydrocarbon mixtures which can be worked up inaccordance with the invention are, for example, reformat gasolines andpyrolysis gasolines.

The high boilers present in the hydrocarbon mixture, which accumulate inthe extraction solvent and can be removed economically therefrom bydistillation only with difficulty, if at all, generally have boilingpoints in the range from 170 to 250° C. The very high-boilinghydrocarbons (“ultrahigh boilers”) also present therein generally have aboiling point above 240° C. at standard pressure or cannot be distilledat all without decomposition, not even under reduced pressure.

The hydrocarbon mixture a1 is subjected to an extractive distillationwith N-tormyl-morpholine as the extraction solvent. The operatingconditions in the extractive distillation column are generally selectedas described in: Ullmanns Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, chapter:Benzene, Wiley-VCH GmbH, 2002. In this extractive distillation, toluenesand xylenes or benzene, toluene and xylenes accumulate in the extractivesolvent and are generally drawn off with it from the bottom of theextractive distillation column, while the nonaromatic hydrocarbonssubstantially freed from the aromatic hydrocarbons are generallyobtained at the top of the extractive distillation column.

The mixture of extractive solvent and aromatic hydrocarbons, which alsocomprises the high boilers and ultrahigh boilers, is subsequentlyseparated by distillation into one or more aromatics fractions which areobtained as top draw streams and/or side draw streams, and theextractive solvent which comprises the high and ultrahigh boilers and isgenerally obtained at the bottom of the distillation column. When, forexample, the hydrocarbon mixture a1 comprises benzene, toluene andxylenes, a fraction c11 comprising benzene as the top draw stream and afraction c12 comprising toluene and a further fraction c13 comprisingxylenes as side draw streams can be maintained in the distillativeseparation of the extractive solvent/aromatics mixture b1 in step (C).When the hydrocarbon mixture a1 comprises essentially toluene and xyleneas aromatic hydrocarbons, essentially toluene as the top draw stream andxylenes as the side draw stream are obtained in the distillativeseparation of the extractive solvent/aromatics mixture b1 . However, itis also possible to obtain a mixture of toluene and xylene, which maypossibly also comprise ethylbenzene, as the top draw stream.

From the extractive solvent c2 which has been recovered by distillationand comprises the high and ultrahigh boilers, the main stream isrecycled into the extractive distillation (B). In order to preventaccumulation of the high boilers in the extractive solvent and hence acontinuous deterioration in the extractive solvent quality, a substreamd1 of the extractive solvent is removed to remove the high boilerspresent therein. This substream comprises generally from 0.01 to 10%,preferably from 0.1 to 2%, of the total stream of the extractive solventc2 obtained by distillation in step (C). The removal of the extractivesolvent from the high boilers present therein is effected in step (E) byextraction of the extractive solvent with water. To this end, thesubstream d1 of the extractive solvent comprising the high boilers canbe transferred to a mixing unit and dispersed with water to form anaqueous extract phase e1 essentially free of high boilers, and anorganic phase e2 comprising the high boilers. The phases aresubsequently separated in a phase separation apparatus which may beidentical to the mixing unit or be a phase separation apparatusdifferent therefrom. The extraction solvent is contacted intensivelywith water, such that the thermodynamic equilibrium between the aqueousextract phase which forms on the one hand and the organic phase on theother hand can be established. Suitable dispersing units are stirredvessels, static mixers, mixing pumps and dynamic mixers. It is alsopossible to perform the extraction in a countercurrent column.

The extractive solvent is fully miscible with water. The high-boilingimpurities from aromatic and nonaromatic hydrocarbons are of sparingsolubility in water, such that addition of water to the extractivesolvent contaminated with the high-boiling hydrocarbons forms a secondliquid, organic phase which consists mainly of these impurities. The twophases have a sufficiently great density difference that they can beseparated from one another in commercial apparatus for liquid/liquidphase separation. Suitable phase separation apparatus include phaseseparators, centrifuges, coalescence phase separators and others. Theextraction with water and subsequent phase separation can be carried outeither in one stage, for example in a mixer-settler, or in more than onestage, for example in a mixer-settler battery or a countercurrentcolumn. The temperature has an influence on the miscibility gap, whichis caused by the addition of water to the extractant comprising the highboilers. In principle, temperatures above 100° C. are possible when theextraction with water is carried out in a pressure apparatus. Possibletemperatures are in the range from 0 to 160° C. However, preferredtemperatures are between 10 and 90° C.; particularly favorabletemperatures have been found to be between 40 and 60° C. An amount ofwater at least sufficiently great that separated liquid phases form isadded. The amount of water:amount of extraction solvent ratio isgenerally from 0.05 to 5 kg/kg, more preferably from 0.2 to 0.5 kg/kg.

An aqueous extract phase e1 essentially free of high boilers and anorganic phase e2 which comprises the high boilers or essentiallyconsists thereof are obtained.

In a preferred embodiment of the process according to the invention, inthe case of continuous performance of the process, a substream e2′ isremoved from the organic phase e2 comprising the high boilers andrecycled into the dispersion unit of step (E), the amount of the organicphase e2′ thus circulated being such that, when the substream d1composed of extractive solvent comprising high boilers, water andcirculated stream e2′ is dispersed, the aqueous extract phase e1essentially freed of high boilers forms as a disperse phase, and theorganic phase e2 as a continuous phase. It has been found that,surprisingly, the reversal of the direction of dispersion in step (E)allows the phase separation into the aqueous extract phase on the onehand and the organic phase composed of high-boiling hydrocarbons on theother hand to be improved significantly. Thus, the phase separation rateis enhanced significantly by the reversal of the direction ofdispersion, and the aqueous lower phase comprising the extractivesolvent becomes clear. As a result of the improvement in the phaseseparation, the high boiler impurities from the extractive solvent aremore greatly enriched. The direction of dispersion can, for example, bereversed by virtue of internal recycling of the organic phase e2obtained in the phase separation apparatus into the mixing unit.

In general, the volume ratio of organic high boiler phase to aqueousextract phase is >0.8:1, in order that the organic phase forms as acontinuous phase.

NFM present in the organic high boiler phase e2 after phase separationcan in turn be recovered by extraction of the phase e2 with water.

The resulting aqueous extract phase e1 essentially freed of high boilersis subsequently distilled to recover the extractive solvent in purifiedform. This distillation can be carried out as described in EP-A 0 329958. In this case, the extractive solvent/water mixture is distilledtogether with the nonaromatic hydrocarbons removed in step (B), thewater present in the extractive solvent/water mixture generally beingdistilled off azeotropically together with the nonaromatic hydrocarbonsvia the top of the distillation column. From this azeotropic mixture,water is removed by phase separation and, if appropriate, recycled intothe high boiler removal step (E). The extractive solvent freed of watercan be separated by phase separation from entrained nonaromatichydrocarbons and be recycled into the extractive distillation (B).

FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the process according to theinvention:

The hydrocarbon mixture 1 comprising benzene, toluene, xylene andnonaromatic hydrocarbons, and the extractive solvent 2, are fed into theextractive distillation column 3. At the top of the extractivedistillation column, a mixture 4 of nonaromatic hydrocarbons andextractive solvent is drawn off and is separated in the downstreamdistillation column 5 into the nonaromatic hydrocarbons 6 and theextractive solvent 7. In the bottom of the extractive distillationcolumn, a mixture 8 of extractive solvent and the aromatic hydrocarbonsis obtained. From this mixture, the individual aromatics fractions ofbenzene 10, toluene 11 and xylene 12 are then removed by distillation ina distillation column 9. From the extractive solvent stream 13 obtainedat the bottom of the distillation column 9, which also comprises thehigh and ultrahigh boilers, the main stream 14 is recycled into theextractive distillation column 3. A substream 15 is removed to removethe high boilers present therein. From this substream 15, oligomeric andpolymeric ultrahigh boilers with interface-active properties are removedin the distillation column 16 as residue 17. The extractive solventstream 18 which has been freed of the ultrahigh boilers and stillcomprises the high boilers is transferred together with water 19 intothe dispersion unit 20. The resulting dispersion 21 is separated in thephase separation apparatus 22 into an organic upper phase 23 whichcomprises the high boilers, and an aqueous lower phase 26 whichcomprises the extractive solvent. A portion 24 of the organic upperphase is discharged from the process; the other portion 25 is recycledinto the dispersion unit 20. The aqueous lower phase 26 is separated ina downstream distillation column 27 into a water stream 28 which isdischarged from the process, and the purified extractive solvent stream29 which is recycled into the extractive distillation column 3.

FIG. 2 shows a further preferred embodiment of the process according tothe invention.

FIG. 2 shows a variant of the process illustrated in FIG. 1. In thisvariant, the aqueous lower phase 26 which comprises the extractivesolvent and is obtained in the phase separation apparatus 22 is notdistilled in a separate distillation column, but rather distilledtogether with the fraction which is obtained as the top draw stream 4and is composed of nonaromatic hydrocarbons in the distillation column5, The top draw stream 6 a obtained is a mixture of nonaromatichydrocarbons and water, which is separated in the downstream phaseseparation apparatus 30 into an organic upper phase composed ofnonaromatic hydrocarbons 31 and an aqueous lower phase 32. The aqueouslower phase can be recycled (as stream 19) into the phase separationapparatus 20.

The invention is illustrated in detail by the examples which follow.

EXAMPLE 1

4 l of N-formylmorpholine (NFM) laden with high boilers were distilledoff via the top of the column under a reduced pressure of approx. 48mbar and at oil bath temperature approx. 180° C. The top temperature wasfrom 105 to 120° C. After approx. 4 hours, approx. 0.1% by weight ofhigh boilers remained in the bottom. The characterization of the blackbottom product, which was not evaporable without decomposition and washighly viscous at room temperature, showed approx. 0.01% by weight ofcoke, polymers and approx. 0.05% by weight of high-boiling aromaticswhich were difficult to identify. The high boilers were discharged fromthe process and sent to incineration as residue. The N-formylmorpholinefreed of high boilers was subsequently extracted with water, If the highboilers were not removed, this led, in the extraction step in the phaseseparation, to a stable crud layer in the organic phase, which greatlycomplicated the operation of a phase separator. When, in contrast, theNFM purified to remove ultrahigh boilers was used, the organic phaseafter the extraction of the NMF with water was clear.

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE

807 g of NFM which comprised 22% by weight of high-boiling impuritiesand had not been distilled beforehand were dispersed in a stirred vesselwith 404 g of demineralized water at 40° C. for 10 minutes. 10 minutesafter the stirrer had been switched off, the two liquid phases in thestirred vessel were assessed visually. The light organic upper phase wascompletely permeated with crud.

EXAMPLE 2

778 g of NFM which had been distilled and, after distillativepurification, still comprised approx. 20% by weight of high-boilingaromatics were dispersed at 40° C. in a stirred vessel with 389 g ofdemineralized water for 10 minutes. 10 minutes after the stirrer hadbeen switched off, the two liquid phases were assessed visually in thestirred vessel. The light organic upper phase was clear.

The examples show that, in the extractive purification of NFM bydispersion with water and subsequent phase separation, a significantlybetter phase separation is achieved when the NFM comprising the highboilers has been freed of polymeric ultrahigh boilers beforehand bydistillation.

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 2

802 g of NFM which, after distillation, comprised 15.2% by weight ofhigh-boiling aromatics were dispersed at 40° C. in a stirred vessel with401 g of demineralized water for 10 minutes. After the stirrer had beenswitched off, a separating rate of the dispersion of 10 mm/min wasdetermined. The aqueous lower phase was slightly cloudy, and thedispersion layer remained in the stirred vessel.

EXAMPLE 3

112 g of NFM which, after distillative purification, still comprised15.2% by weight of high-boiling aromatic hydrocarbons, and 687 g oforganic high boilers (organic upper phase of the phase separator) weredispersed at 40° C. in a stirred vessel with 399 g of demineralizedwater for 10 minutes. After the stirrer had been switched off, aseparation rate of the dispersion of 66 mm/min was determined. Theaqueous lower phase was clear, and no dispersion layer was present inthe stirred vessel.

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 3

In a continuous mixer-settler, 20 kg/h of NFM were dispersed at 40° C.with 15.2% by weight of hydrocarbons (“raffinate”, comprising 17% byweight of C₉ ⁺hydrocarbons, 34% by weight of tetralin, 18% by weight ofnaphthalene, 1.6% by weight of alkylnaphthalenes and 1.6% by weight ofdiphenyl) and 10 kg/h of water, and the two phases obtained wereseparated in the phase separator. Another approx. 1.9% by weight ofhydrocarbons remained in the aqueous NFM phase. The depletion ofhydrocarbons was thus only approx. 87% owing to inadequate phaseseparation.

EXAMPLE 4

In the same apparatus, an experiment was performed at 40° C., in which 5kg/h of water as an extractant and 25 kg/h of NMF which had beenadjusted with raffinate (composition as described above undercomparative example 3) to a hydrocarbon content of 68% by weight, inorder to simulate the conditions of internal recycling of the organicphase, were mixed. Only another approx. 0.5% by weight of thehydrocarbons remained in the aqueous NFM phase; the depletion was thus96%.

The examples show that the recycling of the organic phases leads to animprovement in the phase separation and hence to a higher depletion ofthe high boilers.

EXAMPLE 5

In a continuous mixer-settler, 20 kg/h of the organic phase composed ofaromatic high boilers from the extractive purification of NFM with water(the high boiler phase having comprised 0.86% by weight of NFM) and 10kg/h of demineralized water were dispersed at 40° C., and the two phasesobtained were separated in a phase separator. The depletion of the NFMfrom the organic phase was 94%.

It has been found that, surprisingly, it is possible to recover, byextraction with water, from the organic phase obtained in the extractivepurification of the NFM, the NFM which is dissolved therein and has beenentrained by droplet entrainment.

1-6. (canceled)
 7. A process for obtaining aromatic hydrocarbonsselected from benzene, toluene, xylene and ethylbenzene mixtures thereoffrom a hydrocarbon mixture which additionally comprises nonaromatichydrocarbons and high boilers, comprising the steps of (A) providing ahydrocarbon mixture a1 and an extractive solvent a2 composed ofN-fonuylmorpholine, (B) extractively distilling the hydrocarbon mixturea1 with the extractive solvent to obtain a mixture b1 of extractivesolvent and the aromatic hydrocarbons, said mixture comprising highboilers, and a mixture b2 comprising nonaromatic hydrocarbons, (C)distilling the mixture b1 of extractive solvent and aromatichydrocarbons obtained in step (B) to obtain one or more fractions c1composed of aromatic hydrocarbons and the extractive solvent c2 whichcomprises high boilers, (D) removing a substream d1 from the extractivesolvent c2 and recycling the extractive solvent c2 into the extractivedistillation (B), (E) extracting the substream d1 of the extractivesolvent with water to obtain an aqueous extract phase e1 essentiallyfree of high boilers and an organic phase e2 comprising the highboilers, (F) distilling the aqueous extract phase e1 and recovering theextractive solvent a2 in purified form, and recycling the extractivesolvent into the extractive distillation (B), which comprises precedingperformance of step (E) with performance of a distillation in which afraction composed of very high-boiling hydrocarbons which have a boilingpoint above 240° C. at standard pressure or cannot be distilled at allwithout decomposition, is removed from the substream d1 of theextractive solvent.
 8. The process according to claim 7, wherein asubstream e2′ is removed from the organic phase e2 comprising the highboilers and recycled into the extraction of step (E), the amount of theorganic phase e2′ thus circulated being such that, when the substream d1composed of extractive solvent comprising high boilers, water andcirculated stream e2′ is dispersed, the aqueous extract phase e1essentially freed of high boilers forms as a disperse phase, and theorganic phase composed of high boilers e2 as a continuous phase.
 9. Theprocess according to claim 7, wherein the hydrocarbon mixture comprisesbenzene, toluene and xylene, and, in step (C), a fraction c11 comprisingbenzene, a fraction c12 comprising toluene, and a fraction c13comprising xylenes are obtained.
 10. The process according to claim 7,wherein the hydrocarbon mixture comprises toluene and xylene, and, instep (C), a fraction c11 comprising toluene, and a fraction c12comprising xylenes are obtained.
 11. The process according to claim 7,wherein the very high-boiling hydrocarbons are removed by distillationunder a reduced pressure of from 10 to 100 mbar in a distillation columnhaving from 1 to 10 theoretical plates.
 12. The process according toclaim 7, wherein at least 90% of the very high-boiling hydrocarbons areremoved by distillation.